Someone Worth Saving
by MaskedScissorDoll
Summary: Lily Evans makes a deal with Death that sends Severus Snape back to the living world, and perhaps to salvation.  Her memories are the cost.  Together, they begin Hogwarts long after their own deaths.


She was kneeling over him, holding his hand, watching him twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

His eyes were unseeing. She was pleading with him to look at her. "Severus, please?" she begged. "God, please!"

And I had pity on her. "He won't wake. He has split his soul into too many pieces." I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring.

But when her head whipped up, it was in accusation. "You did this. You knew this would happen," she accused.

Little Lily Evans Potter, shocked at what Severus Snape had become, was accusing me for the blood on his hands. Some of it was mine. A good bit of the rest was at my behest, to maintain a position that would help him save the world. So, yes, it was my fault. But it was for the greater good, and I had hoped it was a forgivable evil. I had hoped his purpose would ensure this never happened. I had hoped for a great many things.

I thought of telling her he'd done it all for her, but I resisted. Giving her guilt would not ease my own, and she was guiltless. All of it was his own doing. All to protect her boy. All his sacrifices were for a memory.

He was broken irreparably, and in her way, so was she. She was heart broken, not because she loved him, but because he loved her so much it destroyed him.

And so we had learned he was far beyond redemption, to suffer with Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange and any number of monsters unworthy of him, because that was the circle he ran with.

To suffer like Gellert was suffering. In a way, I shared her tragedy.

Her tears must have brought the creature forth. I call her a creature, because she was far too full of grace to have ever lived as a woman.

She spoke with a softness foreign to human ears, and she spoke to Lily alone. "I hear you, girl," she said, kneeling beside Lily. She put her hand over mine on Lily's shoulder. "I hear you, and I am not unfeeling," the woman said and quickly added, "I have some power."

Lily looked at her in surprise. "Who are you?" she said.

"I have some power, but it must be done quickly," the creature said, "There will be a price, there's always a price. I can fix him, but I can't do that if he stays here. He'll have to go back and fix himself."

"You mean, he'll have to go back and do it all again?" Lily asked, confused.

"What is done cannot be undone," the creature said, "That life is over."

"Then, what do you mean?" Lily asked.

The creature looked into Lily's green eyes with her own, which somehow defied color. I could see pinks and blues and purples and greens in them, all very light and muted, seeming to shine through a fog. "He will never be Severus Snape again. Severus Snape is dead. But he will have to live again to save himself. And he's proven he cannot do that alone."

Lily looked confused.

"Only you can help him do this. Without you, he'll only make the same mistakes again," said the creature. Was she an angel? Was she a god? "And that is the price. If you leave with him, you will never be Lily Potter again. You will become someone else, and you will never remember the life you've lived."

"But if I leave- What will happen to James? What will happen to Harry?" Lily asked.

"You will see them again one day, but they will not know recognize you, and you will have forgotten them. They will know what has become of you," said the creature, "You will have to chose quickly. The companionship of your family, or this man's soul. Which will it be?"

Lily was shocked. She stared at the creature unblinking for what seemed like a very, very long time.

Beside her, Severus Snape's twitching seemed to become more frantic.

"He's shattering. Tell me what you want to do now, or it cannot be done," the creature said with some urgency.

"Save him!" she stammered, watching him with anxiety. "Please, save him!"

And then they were both gone as though in a blink of an eye.

The creature stood and faced me. "Your friend is not beyond me."

"Severus was a good man," I said, "And I have no doubt he will be again."

"That is not what I meant," the creature said. "There are things I can do the help you. I'd have to send you both with them, but I'm afraid you could not hope for so much change as she might."

"He doesn't deserve a second chance," I said, "And neither do I."

"People very scarcely ever get what they deserve," she said, "Least of all good people. I do not exist to right wrongs, merely to set things in order. I don't frequently allow anyone to stay like that."

"You wouldn't send Riddle-" I started, but she stopped me with a look.

"Tom Riddle tried to cheat me," she said, "And that is something beyond my forgiveness."

"So, what is your price?" I asked her.

"My price to do what?" she replied.

"To restore Gellert Grindelwald?"

"That is not yours to pay," she said to me, giving me a serious look. "You are a difficult person, Albus Dumbledore. I fear setting you back on the world. No, you've managed to get it right this time. I wouldn't dare try you again."

I quickly realized that the life I remembered was not the only one I'd ever lived. I had failed before. I was once a broken man like Severus Snape.

"But thank you for your offer," she said, looking at me quite seriously, "No. I think we'll find that if I time things correctly, our problems will solve themselves. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are many things I need to do. There are many more pieces to put into place."

Albus Severus Potter waved to his father one last time from the train. He was very nervous about going to Hogwarts. He was worried that he might not make new friends. He was concerned that he might not be good at anything. Most of all, he was anxious because he knew he was going to be the first Potter ever sorted into Slytherin.

He had wanted to be a Gryffindor from the time he'd first heard about Hogwarts. Just like his Mom and Dad. But then he'd seen what a total prat James was turning into, and he started thinking about what being a Gryffindor would really mean. Not only would he have to live with James Potter, who he already had to deal with far too much at home, but at Hogwarts, James was popular. He would always be right, and the other kids would always take his side. Albus couldn't stand the thought of being at his brother's whim forever.

And now, he knew that his father wouldn't hate him for it, and he felt better.

What put him even more at ease was that Rose was there. He had never been entirely friendly with Rose. Rose was odd. No, she wasn't just odd, she was somewhat sadistic. Albus never mentioned it to anyone, but he'd noticed that Rose seemed to take a certain joy in the suffering of others. He knew Uncle Ron encouraged it, but only when it was directed at people who deserved it.

Still, Albus knew Rose, and there was some comfort in familiarity.

"Are you excited about school, Albus?" Rose asked me.

Before Albus could answer, the door opened, and a blond boy walked in. Albus quickly recognized him as Scorpius Malfoy, the son of the man his father had mentioned. The boy closed the door behind him.

Rose glared at the boy. "You can't sit here," she said, "This one's taken."

"Do you mind?" The boy asked Albus, who shook his head. Albus moved his satchel into the floor, and Scorpius sat beside him. "My father said he knew your father when he was in school," Scorpius said, "You're Albus Potter."

"Yeah," Albus said, "My father said the same. You're Scorpius Malfoy?"

The blond boy nodded. "And you are?" He asked Rose.

She scowled at him and left the car, looking for James.

"So, what house do you think you'll get sorted in?" Albus asked.

"I think I'll be in Slytherin. That's where my whole family has been," Scorpius said, "And you?"

"I'm not sure," said Albus, "but I think I'll be in Slytherin as well."

"Really?" Scorpius exclaimed, "That's brilliant. My father thought you'd be in Gryffindor like your dad. It'll be good to know somebody at Hogwarts. Nobody in Slytherin talks to my family. Something to do with the war."

And at that time, the door opened again, this time, it was a very pretty girl. "Is there any place I could sit?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said. You can sit here. There's suppose to be another girl here, but she left," Scorpius said, kindly.

Albus was dumbstruck. He had no idea who she was, but she was so familiar. He wanted to talk to her, but there weren't any words in his head.

"I'm Lilah," she said, "Lilah Elliot."

She looked at Albus, curious, but said nothing.

"I'm Scorpius, and this is Albus," Scorpius said, "We're going to be in Slytherin."


End file.
